


Take My Hand Through the Flames

by ironxprince



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, F/M, Gen, Marvel Universe, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:21:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24060496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironxprince/pseuds/ironxprince
Summary: The battle of Wakanda is over - Thor went for the head - and Bucky surveys the carnage.Across the battlefield is a woman with bright orange hair.They have more in common than Bucky realizes.-Infinity War-compliant (except Thanos dies), and ignores Civil War. Can be read as platonic or romantic.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Wanda Maximoff, James "Bucky" Barnes/Wanda Maximoff
Comments: 4
Kudos: 61





	Take My Hand Through the Flames

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't plan on posting this, or I at least wanted to add more to it first, but this is compensation for not posting in a while. I have a large oneshot in the works, but it's not ready yet, so until then, have this unusual paring.

Bucky looked at the carnage around him in despair.

Thanos was defeated - Thor had gone for the head - and his troops must’ve sensed it, all suddenly fighting less determinedly, or ceasing the battle completely. The Wakandan troops killed the remainder of the enemy quickly, but no one could whole-heartedly say it was a  _ win _ . Amongst the enemy dead were too many allies, and rather than cheers of victory, cries rose into the air, mourning for all that had been lost.

Steve was crouched on the floor above the corpse of Thanos, Natasha and a blond man hovering by silently. A man who appeared to be wearing a silver Iron Man suit was talking in hushed tones with Sam off to the side. People were splitting into groups, leaning on each other for comfort, but not yet discussing next steps. For now, they needed to mourn.

Steve looked up at Bucky, a silent affirmation. Bucky nodded once -  _ I’m okay _ \- the gun weighing heavy in his hands, and the pain of a wounded leg (that would undoubtedly heal quickly) slowly making itself known to him.

Off to the side of the field, away from the group, was a woman with blazing orange hair, standing alone at the top of a hill overlooking Wakanda.

Bucky took a slow, shaky step toward her. Everyone else had someone, and she appeared to need support more than most.

She didn’t look up as he approached, continuing to look down on the recovering city below. Bucky stopped a few steps behind her, inspecting it also.

“Are you okay?” Bucky asked quietly, noticing a single tear drip down her cheeks. She looked up at him before wiping it away and turning to face him.

“We won.”

Bucky smiled sadly. “That’s not what I asked.” The woman didn’t look away, but didn’t answer, either. “You lost someone.”

She let out a breath that she looked like she had been holding for the entirety of the battle. “I lost  _ everyone _ .” She took a shaky breath and fought to conceal her emotions. “But that’s part of the job, right?” She smiled sadly.

“I wish I could tell you it wasn’t.”

The woman nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and beginning to curl in on herself, hugging her arms around her middle. “And I wish that made me feel better.” Bucky smiled softly in response. “Did you lose someone, too?”

Bucky stepped forward so he was in line with her. “Not this battle.” Wanda watched him intently, waiting for him to continue. “I lost… myself. I was put under someone else’s control, and for 70 years, I was just a glorified attack dog.”

“You’re the Winter Soldier,” she realized.

Bucky looked up at her, expecting fear or disgust, but her face was devoid of emotion. Bucky thought back to her words.  _ I lost everyone _ . She probably couldn’t find it in herself to care at the moment.

“Most people call me Bucky.”

The woman smiled. “I’m Wanda.”

Bucky gave her a small smile. “The last thing I remember is World War II. I finally become myself again, I think, and… I come back to  _ this _ . Makes me wonder if the fight will ever end.”

For a moment Wanda didn’t speak, eyes drifting back out to the city below.

“I got my powers during war,” she said softly without eye contact. “I got them to protect my country, but I was manipulated into them. I wasn’t prepared to fight the battles for the side my country was on.” She shrugged. “I joined the Avengers - thought that would make it better - but now I’m faced with… with  _ this _ .” She shrugged. “I don’t know which battle was easier to fight.”

Bucky nodded, saying nothing. He took stock of the situation below, trying to mentally count the wounded, all that had been lost. He noticed Wanda, staring above the city, straight up at the sky. He thought it best not to disturb her, but didn’t yet want to leave her side.

After a moment she looked back at him. “So you’re not… mortal.”

Bucky smiled. “I don’t think any Avengers really are, anymore. No, I have… I guess they call it the Super Soldier Serum.”

“Like Steve.”

Bucky nodded. “And, your powers… I’ll admit, I’ve kind of been lost this whole battle. I had no idea what was going on.”

Wanda laughed aloud, the sound carefree, and Bucky made a vow to hear it more often. It seemed to break the tension around the hill, and Bucky began to hear conversation volumes increase, maybe the occasional chuckle. For now, the heroes were revelling in their success.

Wanda lifted her right hand and began moving her fingers. Bucky watched intently as a red light began to grow between them.

“What the hell?” Bucky said under his breath. Wanda bit back a chuckle.

“I can manipulate reality,” Wanda explained, watching the light dance between her finger tips. “At least, that’s my interpretation of it. The doctors used… a  _ lot  _ of weird words. Essentially, I control energy, manipulate the physical realm. I haven’t gotten the chance to practice this yet, but supposedly, I can also read minds and alter thoughts.”

Bucky’s eyes shot up to hers “Mind control.”

Wanda shrugged, uninterested, letting the light die out and dropping her hand. “Maybe I’ll get to use it next time.” She looked up and met Bucky’s fearful eyes, immediately backtracking. “Well, I’d never use it for  _ evil _ , of course-”

“But you could.”

Wanda paused. “Yeah,” she said eventually. “I could.”

Bucky took a deep breath. “Can you tell what I’m thinking right now?”

Wanda slowly lifted her hands, a faint red glow beginning to grow between them. “May I?” Bucky nodded, and Wanda lifted her hands to either side of his head. She looked into his eyes and he stared back, nervous, but trusting.

“You have your walls up,” Wanda commented quietly. “I could bypass them, but I think they’re up for a reason.” She dropped her hands.

Bucky rubbed a hand against the back of his neck. “Sorry. Bad experiences.”

Wanda smiled, but it was fleeting. She quickly dropped her gaze down to her hands, watching the colour flicker across them. Bucky inspected her movements.

“You think you’re a monster,” Bucky said quietly. “I know that look.”

Wanda hesitated for a moment before clenching her hands into fists and dropping them to her sides.

“I have the powers of a villain.”

“But you use them for  _ good _ .”

Wanda looked up at him then, eyes growing sad. “Do you forgive yourself for the Winter Soldier’s victims?”

Bucky nodded once, sighing. “Touché.” He paused, finally laying his gun down on the ground. “It’s hard to forgive ourselves, but maybe we just need to remember that, what happened, it was all in the past. And if this-” he raised an arm to gesture around them- “doesn’t make up for it, then I don’t know what will.”

“It’s a nice sentiment.”

“Yeah, you’re preaching to the choir. I haven’t begun to believe that yet, either, but I’m working on it.” He laughed, looking down. “Steve has me repeating these phrases daily, like a mantra.  _ Forgive yourself  _ and  _ It wasn’t you _ . It’s kind of fun, seeing him so passionate.”

“I got a speech of my own, actually,” Wanda responded, smiling. “A little pep talk. He’s good at those, isn’t he?”

Bucky looked up just as Steve approached.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked Bucky, looking him over.

“Thanks for finally making your way over here, punk.” Bucky nodded behind Steve. “Is he dead?”

“I’d be surprised if he survived a hit like that from Jarnbjorn.” Bucky looked at him questioningly. Steve shrugged. “Thor gave me a quick Asgardian lesson.”

Bucky smiled then, and Steve turned to Wanda, suddenly somber. “You did well. Thank you.”

Wanda looked behind her, into a patch of bushes. Bucky followed her gaze questioningly. Wanda met her eyes, identifying the confusion there and sighing.

“Do you want to know?” Wanda asked quietly. “Who I lost? Why this battle was so hard? Why… I truly am a monster?”

Steve’s brow furrowed. “Wanda, you’re not a monster. You were brave and did what needed to be done-”

“Do you want to know?”

Bucky looked warily between Steve and Wanda before nodding, and she turned, beginning to lead him through the bushes. She stopped under a tree, eyes looking up at the branches. Bucky took a shaking step to stand beside her, and gasped, looking down at the floor.

“What….” Bucky’s voice trailed off, not knowing what to ask. The black-and-white figure on the floor beneath him didn’t really look human.

“His name was Vision,” Wanda said, voice barely above a whisper. She kept her eyes on the branches above her. “I guess you were too caught up in the battle to notice-”

“Knocked aside by that giant purple grape like a sack of potatoes.”

“I killed him.”

Bucky looked up at her, startled. “What?”

“The mind stone, what  _ Thanos _ -” she said the name with loathing- “needed, was…  _ him _ . It was what gave him life, and it was also where I got  _ my  _ powers from.” She sniffled, looking down to Bucky, still refusing to look at the figure on the floor. “Thanos couldn’t get the stone. I had to d-destroy it….” She quieted her voice to a hiss. “The bastard brought him back to life, just to steal the stone and murder him.”

Bucky stared down at the figure in dismay as Steve put an arm around Wanda’s shoulders and tugged her against his side. She moved stiffly, face devoid of emotion.

“There are always casualties to war,” Steve murmured to her, but she shook her head, turning and pacing away from the scene. Bucky followed her, attempting to push the still figure on the floor from his mind.

“I don’t usually cause them, though,” she responded quietly. Bucky sighed as they found themselves back in the clearing, watching each other carefully. Steve seemed to think Wanda was in good hands and faded back into the recovering battleground, finding other people to comfort.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky said. It was all he  _ could  _ say. He knew, from experience, that there was nothing he could do to comfort her, no words he could say to make this alright. Hopefully, the pain would heal with time. For now, all he could do was be here for her.

Wanda seemed to understand, smiling softly. “Thank you,” she whispered, eyes beginning to glisten. She ducked her head and began to wipe at them hastily, and Bucky got the message, turning away to give her privacy.

She sniffled and raised her gaze, looking out at the setting sun, standing shoulder to quivering shoulder with Bucky.

Slowly, Bucky lifted his left arm and placed it gently around Wanda’s shoulders. She leaned closer against him, turning her face into his collarbone and sobbing softly.

Bucky held her tightly, not saying a word.

**Author's Note:**

> I might create another story in this universe; we'll see. Let me know if you guys would be interested in that!  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
